English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Etymology — The origins of English words

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

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From endemic + -ism.

From dull-witted + -ness.

Clipping of expatriate.

From eagle + back, modelled on horseback.

From fan + light (“window; source of illumination”).

From earwax + -y.

From en- + sphere.

Borrowing from Arabic فَدَّان (faddān).

Borrowed from Byzantine Greek ἐπιτραχήλιον (epitrakhḗlion), from Ancient Greek ἐπιτραχήλιος (epitrakhḗlios, “on the neck”) + -ιον (-ion, suffix forming diminutive nouns). ἐπιτραχήλιος (epitrakhḗlios) is from ἐπι- (epi-, “on, upon, on top of, covering”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“on; at; near”)) + τράχηλος (trákhēlos, “neck”) + -ῐος (-ĭos) (from Proto-Indo-European *-yós (suffix forming adjectives)).

Borrowed from French évanescent (“evanescent”), from Latin ēvānēscēns (“disappearing, vanishing”), present participle of ēvānēscō (“to disappear, vanish; to die out, fade away; to lapse”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away, out’)) + vānēscō (“to vanish”) (from vānus (“empty, vacant, void”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“to abandon, leave”)) + -ēscō (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to become’)).

From entrance + way.

Borrowed from Spanish estancia. Doublet of stance and stanza.

From Middle French élégiaque, from Latin elegīacus, from Ancient Greek ἐλεγειακός (elegeiakós).

From dull + -en.

From epigraph + -y.

etherealization

From ethereal + -ization.

From Middle English endly, endely (“final”), equivalent to end + -ly. Compare Dutch eindelijk (“final”), German endlich (“final”), Middle High German endelīch (“final”).

From French énoncer, from Latin ēnuntiō. Doublet of enunciate.

From Old French escusable, from Latin excusabilis.

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَّاح (fallāḥ, “peasant”), from Classical Syriac ܦܠܚܐ (“worker; peasant”). Attested since 1743.

From Late Latin extemporāneus, from Latin ex tempore (“impromptu”).

From dump + cart.

From feast + -ware.

From epigone (“imitator, follower, disciple”) + -ous.